Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1871.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 942, 13 February 1871, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1871.

The interesting report furnished by the Kaimanawa prospecting party to the legal manager of the Hawke's Bay Company, as published by us on Friday last, will, we fear, settle the question of a gold-field for Hawke's Bay in the negative. To use the exact words of the report, " The probability of any payable gold-field being discovered within the boundaries of the Province is very remote indeed ; " and this conclusion is arrived at after a most diligent search,, not onl> of all the most likely spots, but of many others whereever there was any chance, however feeble. No one will, we think, notwithstanding the failure of the enterprise, regret the steps which have been taken to put the question to the proof, nor the money that has been expended in its prosecution; for the next best thing to knowing of the discovery of a gold-field is the certainty that there is no ground to believe in the existence of one. Of course it would have been much more gratifying to have received a report of a more favorable character, but, as it is, we trust that the excitement consequent on the favorable indications formerly found, is at an end, and that even those who were the most sanguine of success will now rest satisfied. It may savor of the old fable of the sour grapes to decry that which we are unable to obtain, but the fact is that even a gold-field is not without its own peculiar drawbacks, —its unhealthy excitements and reactions, —its share manias, and their ill effects,—and while it is undoubted that prizes of no ordinary value sometimes fall into the hands of a feu, it is much to be questioned if the condition of the great majority of the population of such a district is not worse than that of more settled communities. At least such seems to have been the experience hiiherto, and judging from the tenor of this report nothing better could have been the re suit here. in the localities where indications proved most favorable for the belief that payable gold might be found, the prospectors toll us that they are "not sanguine that it would prove of any great extent," and therefore we conclude that is is much best as it has proved, because, if only those magic words, "payable ground," could have been used, no matter how limited the extent of it, we should doubtless have been subjected to the inevitable rush, and all the excitement consequent thereon, only to be followed by a greater crash, involving man 3? of our fellowsettlers in the ruin. Those who have faith in the district lying outside the boundaries of the Province will not be altogether disheartened by liie report. It contains just enough of promise to keep their hopes and expectations alive, though we think not sufficient to induce them to invest more cash in prospecting. The question is now one of time

and patience only, and such persons will not fail to remember that many, if not most, ot existing and paying goldfields ha\e been discovered by accident rather than by systematic prospecting.